This invention may be regarded as an improvement in relation to the switch disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,147, issued May 10, 1983 upon the application of Andrew F. Raab and Arthur G. Perkins. Such patent discloses a combination blower and air conditioner switch for vehicles, comprising a blower speed control switch component including a blower control member movable from an OFF position to a series of ON positions to provide different blower speeds, an air conditioner switch component including a push button control member movable between OFF and ON positions against the biasing action of a return spring, latching means including a latching element for latching the push button control member in its ON position, and an interlock member movable by the blower control member to a disabling position for disabling the latching means when the blower control member is in its OFF position, such interlock member being movable to an enabling position for enabling such latching means when the blower control member is moved away from its OFF position to any of it ON positions, whereby the push button air conditioner control member cannot be latched in its ON position when the blower control member is in its OFF position. The latching means may be of the alternate latching type for alternately latching and unlatching the push button air conditioner control member in response to successive pushes thereof. The latch disabling action of the interlock member prevents the build-up of frost on the cooling coil of the air conditioner by preventing operation of the air conditioner unless the blower is energized to circulate air through the cooling coil.
In the illustrative embodiment of the switch, as disclosed in such patent, the air conditioner switch component is securely mounted alongside the blower switch component. The blower control member is movable from an OFF position, close to the air conditioner switch component, to a series of ON positions, more remote from the air conditioner switch component. The blower control member is operated by a manually operable lever, so that the OFF position of the lever is remote from the air conditioner switch component, while the ON positions of the lever are closer to the air conditioner switch component.
It is often desirable to reverse the sequence of the OFF and ON positions of the blower control member, for increased convenience and compatibility with the design requirements of various vehicles.
The present invention deals with the problem of producing a combination blower control and air conditioner switch, of the general construction disclosed and claimed in such patent, in which the sequence of the blower OFF and ON positions is reversed, so that the OFF position of the blower control member is remote from the air conditioner switch, while the ON positions of the blower control member are closer to the air conditioner switch. With this reversal, the OFF position of the operating lever is close to the air conditioner switch, while the ON positions of the lever arc more remote from the air conditioner switch.